Rotary drum drying machine



Feb., 25, 1947.

A. C. PURPURA ROTARY DRUM DRYING MACHINE Y 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 3, 1945 hun u Hill..

Feb. 25, 1947*. A. c. PURPURA ROTARY DRUM DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT 01u-'Icay mmccl y l It is common practice t'o dry laundry by tumbling it in a suitable receptacle while subjecting it to a fluid drying medium, usually heated air.

' All of the machines for this purpose, of which The various features of novelty whereby my in- I vention is characterized will hereinafter be `pointed'out with particularity in the claims; but,

for a. full understanding of the invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to thev following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a machine that embodies the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section, on a larger scale, taken on a central, vertical plane extending from the front of the machine to the rear; Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken on lines 3--3 and 44,k respectively, on Fig. 2, Fig. 4 being on a still larger scale; andFig. 5 is a section on line 6-5 of Fig. 4 on a scale still further enlarged.

Referring to the drawings, I represents a casing that is rectangular in shape in vertical and in transverse cross section. 'I'he depth of the casing, from front to rear, is progressively reduced from a point a little more than one half of the way up, in a manner to cause the upper part of the front wall 2 to slope rearwardly as the tcp is approached. In this sloping wall is a round opening l through which the work may.

be introduced and removed. In the casing is a partition 4 that extends rearward, at a, slight downward slope, from a point about half way up on the front wall, and then upwardly and rearwardly to the back wall a little below the top of the casing. Thus the casing is divided into upper and lower compartments. In the rear wall of the casing, just above the upper end of the partition, are outlets 6 for the escape of air and e vapors. In the bottom of the lower compartment,

receptacle lies directly behind the sloping .portion of the front wall of the casing, with its axis at right angles to the latter and containing the center of the door opening. When the door i2, cooperating with the opening 3, is opened work can be placed in or be taken out of the receptacle. The receptacle is fastened to one end of a large open ended shaft I4, tubular in form; the shaft being coaxial with the receptacle which has its bottom wall cut away, as indicated at I5, to provide a large opening the center of which is at the axis of the shaft.

Within the receptacle is a long hollow hub or thirble I6, almost as long as the depth of the receptacle and coaxial with shaft I4. Themem'- ber I6 is preferably cylindrical and it is filled with end of which may be slipped over a hub or short projection I8 on a clamping plate I9 between which and a fiange 20 on the end of shaft I4 the bottom wall of the receptacle is clamped, as best shown ln Fig. 4. The thimble may beheld in place on the part I8 by an ordinary bayonet joint 2i, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby it may be removed at will. I

In order that the shaft I4 may be firmly supported, I place a second partition 22 in the casing; this partition being roughly in the form of a frusto-conical pan, larger in diameter than the receptacle, surrounding the latter but in spaced relation thereto, and secured at its rim to the walls of the casing. Surrounding the shaft, be-

' -tween and supported by the two partitions, is a heavy bearing sleeve 24 which gives adequate sup port to the shaft. The partition 22 is perforated, as indicated at 25, throughout the length and circumference of its frusta-conical wall; thereby enabling water in both liquid and vapor form to escape.

In the top of the casingis a, trough-like partition 26 that serves as a baille in thepath of fluids leaving the extreme upper part of partition 22 and forcing such fluids to travel downward some distance, and then upwardly, before reaching the outlets 5 in the rear wall of the casing. This causes the liquid to separate from the vapor and ow down into the bottom of the upper compartment, while the vapor rises and escapes through the outlets 5.

There is a bearing sleeve 21 extending through and fast in shaft I4 and clamp member I9. Extending through and being a rotatable t in this sleeve is a second, smaller, tubular shaft 28 for driving a blower rotor within the thimble which serves as the blower casing. In the arrangement shown, the inner end of the shaft 28 is so modi- .fied that it acts as the blower rotor; large sections 29 being partially. severed and bent outwardly to' form fan blades. Air is drawn in through Athe outer open ends of the shafts, when the machine is in operation, and reaches the blades through the openings 30 left in the inner shaft in the fashioning of the blades; the blades then driving such air forcibly through the holes in the thimble and radially across the interior of the receptacle. For the purpose of driving the shafts I place on the outer end of the outer shaft a wheel 3| and on the end of the inner shaft 28, that protrudes from the outer end of the outer shaft, a second wheel 32. These wheels may conveniently be driven by separate belts, 34 and 35, which are in turn driven by an electric motor 36 in the lower compartment in the casing.

In order to heat the air before it enters the receptacle I locate an electrically energized heating element 37 within that part of the inner shaft that is surrounded by the thimble. Supporting rods 38 for this element extend through the outer end of shaft 28 to a bracket 39 fixed to the casing. Also located in the space surrounded by the shaft within the thimble is an element 40 of a, thermo-responsive temperature controller which is likewise supported from the bracket 39. If desired, the part of shaft 28 beyond the thimble may be lined with asbestos or other suitable heat insulator. In the arrangement shown, this insulating material is in' the form of a sleeve 4| loosely entered in the'shaft.

It should be noted that what may be termed the side Wall of the receptacle is filled with perforations 42 for the escape of iiuids, and with ribs 43 for raising the work as the receptacle revolves.

In using the machine, the work is placed in the receptacle and the casing door is closed. The motor is started and the heater is energized. As the receptacle revolves the work is lifted and dropped, resulting in the effective tumbling thereof to present a maximum surface area to the action of the drying medium. The air for drying is drawn in through .the open ends of the shafts, is heated and is then driven through the perforations in the thimble in all directions radially of the receptacle, effectively contacting all parts of the work, Wherever they may be. When the air'reaches a predetermined temperature the controller or regulator acts to shut olf or reduce the current that energizes the heater, so that the danger of scorching is avoided. The moisture in the work is quickly vaporized and is progressively driven out through the perforated wall of the receptacle, then passing through the perforated partition and finally escaping from the upper compartment in the form of vapor through outlets 5 or in liquid form through the drain pipe.v

Because ofthe constant tumbling of the work and vuninterrupted blowing of air against the same,

ticularlty only a single specific form of my invention, I do not desire to be limlted'to the exact structural details so illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements coming within the definitions of the invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a. drying machine, a receptacle for the work, a. rotatable, hollow, open ended shaft fixed to and supporting the receptacle for rotary movements, a long cylindrical thimble fixed to the receptacle, within thesame and in registration with the said shaft, the thimble being perforated circumferentially and lengthwise, a second hollow shaft extending through and rotatable in the first shaft and extending into the thimble, a blower rotor Amounted on the second shaft within the thimble for drawing air through that shaft and discharging it through the perforations in the thimb1e,"means' to drive both shafts, a heater positioned in that part of the second shaft that extends into the thimble, and means extending from the heater through the second shaft to the casing beyond the outer end of the latter for supporting the heater.

2. In a drying machine, a receptacle for the work, a rotatable, tubular shaft open at the ends and fixed to and supporting the receptacle for vrotary movements, a long cylindrical thimble fixed in the receptacle coaxial with and in open 'communication with said shaft, the thimble being perforated circumferentially and lengthwise, a second, inner open-ended tubular shaft rotatable in thefirst shaft and extending into the thimble, the portion of the inner shaft within the thimble having sections partially severed therefrom and bent laterally to produce a blower rotor adapted to draw air through the inner shaft and discharge it through the perforations in the thimble, and means to drive both shafts.

3. A machine such as set forth in claim 2, having, in addition, a heating element positioned within that part of the second shaft that extendsinto the thimble, a support extending from the heating element through and to the outer end of the inner shaft, and means to secure said support to the casing.

4. Ina drying machine, a casing provided with a partition dividing it into upper and lower cornpartments, a reservoir in the bottom of the casing, a drain for water leading from thebottom of the upper compartment to said reservoir, and there being through the casing wall an outlet for air and vapor from the upper regions of the upper compartment and also from the reservoir, a rotatable perforated receptacle in the upper compartment, a tubular open ended shaft extending through said partition and rotatably supporting the receptacle, means in the receptacle to draw air into the same through said tubular shaft and discharge it laterally across the interior toward the sides of the receptacle, and means to rotate said shaft.

5. In a drying machine, a receptacle for the Work, a hollow, open-ended shaft xed to and supporting the receptacle for rotary movements, a long cylindrical thimble fixed in the receptacle in registration with the shaft, the periphery of the thimble being perforated,la hollow blower rotor in said thimble for drawing air through said shaft and discharging it through said perforated periphery of the thimble, means extending from the blower rotor through and to the outer en d of the shaft to rotate said rotor, a. heater within the rotor, and means extending from the heater through the shaft to the casing for supporting the heater.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5, wherein the means for supporting the rotor is a tubular shaft open at the outer end and fitting rotatably in the shaft that supports the receptacle.

7. A machine as set forth in claim 5, wherein the means for rotating the rotor is a tubular shaft open at the outer end and tting rotatably in the shaft that supports the receptacle, and l0 wherein the rotor constitutes a. continuation of the inner shaft.

' AUGUST C. PURPURA.

6 nmnmvcns crrm The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Na'me Date 2,328,256 Breckenbridge Aug. 31, 1943 750,535 Goings Jan. 26, 1904 1,650,330 Davenes Nov. 22, 1927 249,600 Edson Nov. 15, 1881 565,522 stucky 1'. Aug. 11, 1896 506,901 Bornholdt Oct. 17, 1893 

